I bought an LG LDS5811ST in Feb of '06. It has performed beautifully and almost silently for 4 years. A few days ago, it began returning an error code: LE.

I called the tech line and spoke to India. The guy said an authorized repairman had to come look at it. He came yesterday. He looked at it. He looked at my user's guide. He looked at me and said I needed a new sump assembly, which would cost me $400 plus the $65 for his visit yesterday.

After I came to, I got on line and stumbled upon this site. The most common cause for an LE error code looked like a broken wire inside the door.

I took the door panel off and found exactly that! One wire broken off right where it emerged from the "tar" on the door. I spliced it together and put the door back on. The dishwasher is back to normal.

Although the consensus seems to be that LG is an inferior brand, we have loved ours!

We purchased an LG front load washer and dryerjust under 3 years ago. We were in the $2500-$3000 price range for the pair. This is my only experience with their appliances.My wife absolutely loved them for the first couple of weeks.....

The seal design on the washer traps water causing mildew to grow. The only fix is to clean it every couple of days or leave the door open when the washer is not in use.The detergent and softner dispenser is gravity feed and builds up with "gunk". It has to be cleaned regularly and while the tray is removable, the inlets are not; so you have to fish out the sludge with a paper towel. This occurs regardless of what type of detergent you are using.The washer capacity is about 1/3 to 1/2 of the drum size. After that you get an overload error.The washer broke down about 6 months ago (roughly 2-2-1/2 years old). The waste pump went bad. No service reps in the area and the place that sold them to us quit selling LG after numerous complaints. I went to a local appliance parts wharehouse that sells just about every part known to the appliance world and when I mentioned LG, the guy at the counter smiled and shook his head. "You have to order it online. When I replaced the pump I had to put the machine up on a stand, beacause the only way to access the pump is from the underside of the machine (unless you have arms about 3-1/2 feet long) and tipping a front load machine on its side is not recommended.The dryer has an auto dry feature which never fully dries the clothes so we wind up manually setting the dry time to an hour (which is about 4 minutes longer than it takes to wash the clothes). The timers on both machines are not accurate. They are more like progress bars when downloading a file; they occassionally go up in time, then back down again.The dryer capacity is similar to the washer, so in spite of efficiency ratings, you do more loads and with a wash time of nearly an hour, it takes longer. Our gas bill went up about $50 a month the first month; the only change being the new dryer.Now the dryer has broke down (still less than 3 years old) and troubleshooting is a bear beacause I can not find a manual available for our model and the problem appears to be thermal. It runs for 2 minutes, then errors out. 20 minutes later it will run for another 2 minutes. With no error code showing up and the glitchy flickering of the display, I'm eyeballing the main board.

It's very important not only to use "HE" (High Efficiency-Low Suds) type detergent--but to use the correct amount. Nearly all brands of "HE" detergent have incorrect dosage instructions.

The correct amount is as follows:

HE: (2) Tablespoons Per Washload

HE 2X (double concentrated) : (1) Tablespoon

HE 3X (triple concentrated): (1) Teaspoon

This reduces/prevents:

1) Musty Odor

2) "LE" Error/Interrupted Cycle

3) L-O-N-G Cycle Times (longer than time displayed)

4) Insufficient Cleaning Results

5) Small Water Leaks from the air vent behind the washer or at the front door gasket

6) Damaged Hall Effect Sensor (on 2007 or older LG washers)

7) Reduced Spin Speeds (laundry not spin-dried effectively)

Most consumers were doing what is *normally* the right thing to do, which is to follow directions on the detergent label. In this rare case--those directions should be entirely disregarded.

Additionally--in many LG washers--the liquid dispenser cup (blue cup) has a "MAX" line on the white siphon cap.This was a very big *faux pas* on LGs part--this "MAX" line has NOTHING to do with measuring detergent and should never be used as a guide for determining correct detergent amount.The "MAX" line indicates how much liquid must be in the blue dispenser cup before it DISPENSES from the bottom of the cup. This is a very,very frustrating mistake that gives owners much grief.

After three months of incorrect type of detergent or incorrect amount of the correct detergent used--musty odor begins to occur. After more than two years--a significant amount of soap scum/curd has accumulated in the washer. Odor-causing bacteria flourishes on this build-up.It is imperative to remove this slimy residue. Tide sells a product called "TIDE WASHING MACHINE CLEANER" which is very effective.

Once a tub has become heavily contaminated--normal methods of performing a TUB CLEAN cycle won't "cut it".

Add the entire packet of "TIDE WASHING MACHINE CLEANER" directly into the tub (no laundry) and close the door.

Press the START button (6) times--this will fill the tub with hot water to the maximum setting when it stops filling.

Press the START button two more times--this will enable the tub to tumble. After 3 hours--turn "off" the washer.Turn the washer back "on". Select the shortest wash cycle (usually "quick wash") and press "START". This will rinse out the tub.This method of "TUB CLEAN" is *not* from a service manual but has been the best method for cleaning out LG washers more than a year into incorrect detergent useage.

After this--use the correct amount of "HE" detergent & perform a "TUB CLEAN" cycle every (4) months using the *tub clean* option on the control panel.

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jwest:

The seal design on the washer traps water causing mildew to grow.

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john63:

If the door gasket has a small hole at the six o'clock position--it is clogged with soap scum. Use compressed air to blow this hole clear.This allows water to drain back into the tubIf there's no hole--this is an older model LG which did not have this upgradeWiping the door gasket with a rag after the LAST cycle of the day helps prevent debris from accumulating. Some consumers add (1) teaspoon of bleach to a spray bottle with water--and spray the older type gaskets after the final laundry load finished--to keep the gasket clean.

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jwest:

The detergent and softner dispenser is gravity feed and builds up with "gunk". It has to be cleaned regularly and while the tray is removable, the inlets are not; so you have to fish out the sludge with a paper towel.

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john63:

This common on almost all front load washers.Remove the dispenser tray. Remove the blue liquid detergent cup. Add all to the top rack of the dishwasher---run a cycle. This makes much less a chore of cleaning the dispenser tray assy.

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jwest:

The washer broke down about 6 months ago (roughly 2-2-1/2 years old). The waste pump went bad. No service reps in the area and the place that sold them to us quit selling LG after numerous complaints. I went to a local appliance parts wharehouse that sells just about every part known to the appliance world and when I mentioned LG, the guy at the counter smiled and shook his head. "You have to order it online.

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john:

You are correct---parts & service is still lacking in some areas, regrettably.

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jwest:

The dryer has an auto dry feature which never fully dries the clothes so we wind up manually setting the dry time to an hour

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john63:

LG gas dryers are VERY temperamental in long vent set-ups. I've posted more information relating to this in another thread (post).

If fabric softener sheets are used in the dryer--clean the two stainless steel strips of metal on the lint filter housing with a SCOTCHBRITE PAD--scrub back & forth several times to remove the waxy residue from the fabric softener sheets. Most,if not all manufacturers do *not* recommend using sheets in dryers that have a moisture sensor (electrodes).However--using a SCOTCHBRITE pad keeps the wax off those sensors which can be seen if looking *into* the dryer drum and at the lint filter housing. If only *liquid* fabric softener is used in the washer--clean the dryer sensors once a month. Liquid softener also contains wax which can slowly accumulate on the dryer sensors from the laundry washed in the washer.

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jwest:

With no error code showing up and the glitchy flickering of the display, I'm eyeballing the main board.

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john63:

Unfortunately--that appears to be the fault (main board) if the lights for the cycles that circle the control panel knob flicker or do not fully "light up".

Notice the 2X Ultra in small print above the brand with the HE printed down below. No where on the bottle does it say that it's double concentrate or that this is what the 2X is refferring to. But then who cares as long as the measuring cup gives you the correct amount. We use the lowest line marked for small loads. I would estimate that to be at about 3 tablespoons. At least I think we're using that line... the second line for large loads is at about 5 tablespoons.

The holes in the bottom of the seal are there and unplugged on the innermost groove, but were competely plugged and not visible in the outermost groove toward the door. Wasn't even aware they were in there. You have to lift the lip to see them and running a rag across the seal just packs them.

When I get our dryer up and running again, I will scotchbrite the sensor, unplug the drain holes in the seal, use the tide cleaner with the cleaning cycle, and hold an educational seminar in front of the washer & dryer.

I've had my LG washer/dryer a little over 3 years now and my LG frig for a little over a year. And knock on wood...no problems with any. I posted my review of the washer/dryer combo back then and I am still very happy with the pair. I wish I could quantify the amount of water, power and detergent costs I have saved in three years. The Frig so far, has been great. The quality, style and performance is what I hoped it would be. I would not hesitate in buying another LG product if I was in the market.

Regards,

Mark

Logged

My philosophies:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it and When all else fails RTFM (read the "funny" manual)

I've had my LG washer/dryer a little over 3 years now and my LG frig for a little over a year. And knock on wood...no problems with any. I posted my review of the washer/dryer combo back then and I am still very happy with the pair. I wish I could quantify the amount of water, power and detergent costs I have saved in three years. The Frig so far, has been great. The quality, style and performance is what I hoped it would be. I would not hesitate in buying another LG product if I was in the market.

Regards,

Mark

With an older top load washer using 36 gallons per wash at eight loads per week/416 loads per year...

The approximate water savings would be around 23,712 gallons in three years.

Using the correct amount of HE detergent--the expense for three years would be approximately: $66.00 (in this case--HE 2X)

Using TIDE WASHING MACHINE CLEANER every (4) months would be a "maintenance cost" of approx $30.00 over (36) months.

The amount of water "wasted" performing a TUB CLEAN CYCLE every (4) months for three years would be an insignificant 180 gallons.

It's rare for an owner/consumer to post reviews three times in three years--that's great feedback.